AP Biology Review Notes

A collection of flashcards summarizing key vocabulary and concepts from AP Biology lecture notes.

Elements

Substances that cannot be broken down into smaller substances by chemical means.

Essential Elements of Life

96% of the mass of all living things is made up of 4 elements: Oxygen (O), Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), Nitrogen (N).

Subatomic Particles

Atoms are made up of three main subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Protons

Positively charged particles found in the nucleus of an atom.

Neutrons

Neutral particles found in the nucleus of an atom, with no charge.

Electrons

Negatively charged particles that orbit the nucleus of an atom and are effectively massless.

Atomic Number

The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which determines the element.

Mass Number

The total number of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus.

Ionic Bonds

Bonds formed when one atom donates electrons to another atom, resulting in oppositely charged ions.

Covalent Bonds

Bonds formed when two atoms share electrons.

Hydrophobic Substances

Substances that do not dissolve in water.

Hydrophilic Substances

Substances that do dissolve in water.

Acids and Bases

Solutions categorized by their H+ (acidic) or OH- (alkaline) concentrations.

Glycosidic Linkage

The bond formed between two monosaccharides in a disaccharide.

Polysaccharides

Carbohydrates composed of many monosaccharides.

Proteins

Large molecules composed of amino acids, which serve various functions in organisms.

Enzymes

Proteins that act as catalysts to speed up chemical reactions.

ATP

Adenosine triphosphate; the primary energy carrier in cells.

Photosynthesis Equation

6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2.

Cell Membrane

The protective barrier that regulates the movement of substances in and out of a cell.

Mitosis

The process of cell division that results in two identical daughter cells.

Meiosis

The process of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, producing gametes.

Natural Selection

A process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Genetic Drift

Random changes in allele frequencies in a population.

Ecology

The study of interactions between organisms and their environment.